Shanghai Property and Living Advice by Adrienne Farrelly

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Monthly Archives: November 2014

A new and beautiful apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, and 2 bathrooms has just become available for rent! This is quite the unique find. You can enjoy the convenient first floor outdoor patio with friends and family. If you like to grill, it is the ideal space. On the other hand, if you like to garden, it has the perfect grassy area. The breeze freshens the open living room and kitchen area, creating a clean and relaxing atmosphere. The isolated office is great for personal study or working from home. All for just 30,000 RMB/month, you can be the next person to enjoy this wonderful living space! Just contact Adrienne Farrelly at manager@shanghaiprops.com or call her at +86 13122 810 421 for showings or questions.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

If you find yourself celebrating Thanksgiving in Shanghai this year, do not fear, you can still find a delicious turkey dinner! Whether you want to splurge with a lavish all-you-can-eat buffet or take a turkey home to enjoy with loved ones, there are many options for foreigners to have a very Happy Thanksgiving in China.

Thanksgiving is the time of the year to celebrate family, to cherish your loved ones, and to show appreciation. Some may even say it is the celebration of the three Fs: Family, Friends, and Food! Thanksgiving surely wouldn’t be what it is without the delicious and exquisite meals used just for this time of the year.

Are you wondering how to celebrate Thanksgiving in Shanghai in a way that makes it feel like home? Luckily, Shanghai has many venues where families and friends can go to enjoy the holiday’s delicacies and cozy atmosphere. Here are a few of our recommendations:

1) Waldorf Astoria
As one of the highest scale Thanksgiving dinners you can find in Shanghai, the Waldorf Astoria offers an extravagant buffet dinner for 328RMB for kids and 688 RMB for adults. The classic buffet will include delicious turkey and specialty dishes such as Waldorf’s special oyster, butternut squash Cheddar gratin, pumpkin cheesecake, Thanksgiving cupcakes and more. There will also be a jazz band performing to add to the holiday atmosphere.
Contact: 86 21 6322 9988

2) House of Roosevelt at 27 on the Bund
Some say that the House of Roosevelt’s festive menu is most enticing. The 688 RMB/ person feast begins with a traditional eggnog toast and is followed by delicious holiday items such as turkey tonnate with capers and olives, lentil bean soup and succulent Spanish iberico de Bellato ham. There is also seared Icelandic halibut followed by roasted turkey with root vegetables served with cranberry jus and turkey jam. But it doesn’t stop there! For dessert you can enjoy the rainbow rice pudding or chestnut crème brule and cranberries in crystal vodka jelly. Mmmm!
Contact: 2322 0800

3) Jean Georges
Jean Georges is known best for its sumptuous Thanksgiving delights. The official menu offers delectable options for each course, some of which include saporous sweet potato dumplings, parmesan broth and truffle, black sea bass or roasted Maine lobster, and a choice of traditional turkey or caramelized beef tenderloin for the main dish.
Contact: 6321 7733

If you are looking for a more relaxed and budget friendly Thanksgiving dinner, here are a few more delicious options that are popular among expat families:

5) Bubba’s
Bubba’s is offering festive feasts in both their Hongqiao and Cool Docks locations. Included is smoke-roasted USDA turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing and fragrant pumpkin pie. Not to mention, they are also offering bottomless wine with the meal all for 350 RMB for adults, 175 RMB for kids under 12 and free for kids under 4. They have seatings at either 6pm or 8:30pm but you should book in advance.
Contact: 6242 2612 (Hongqiao) or 5302 7588 (Cool Docks)

6) Piro Restaurant and Bar
Piro has been noted as the “All you can eat American home style dinner” in Shanghai. As you may guess, there are many traditional family items offered such as holiday butter roasted turkey with apple herb stuffing, pumpkin bourbon eggnog, truly American mac and cheese, the “best ever pumpkin pie” and more! There are also many scrumptious desserts to choose from, such as Charlie’s famous New York Cheese Cake or their Triple Layer Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. There are two seatings both beginning at 6pm and 8:30pm and the price is 400 RMB per person plus 150 RMB (adults) or 100 RMB (kids) for free flow alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Contact: 5403 8513

If you would rather take out a turkey to enjoy at home with loved ones, here are a few recommended places to purchase your Thanksgiving turkey to go:

7) The BLOCK
The Kerry Hotel Pudong’s butcher shop has a complete “Turkey To Go” package for collection or delivery including whole fire-roasted turkey, honey-roasted sweet and baby carrots, festive cookies, mince pies and more all from 1,180 RMB. The basic a la carte turkey menu begins at 880 RMB. Available from October 1-December 28, a reservation should be made three days in advance to prepare the desired items.

8) Kakadu
Kakadu is offering whole roasted turkeys to go! For 888 RMB you can get a 13lb roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed pumpkin, honeyed baby carrots, peas, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pumpkin pie. Orders should be placed before 3pm on Wednesday, November 26th and are available for collection Thursday, November 27th – Sunday, November 30th.
Contact: 5468 0118
9) Kate & Kimi
Online delivery service Kate & Kimi have set up two collection spots in Puxi and Pudong for customers to pick up their fresh roasted American turkeys with bread stuffing, cranberry sauce and giblet gravy from 680 RMB (3-5 people) to 1,180 RMB (10-12 people). They also have turkey packages for 1,200-2,300 RMB which include an American roasted turkey with bread stuffing, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, green peas with bacon and ten other veggie dishes as well as an oven baked pumpkin pie and dinner rolls. Yum! Collection is available from Thursday, November 27th -Sunday, November 29th.

Happy holidays from Shanghai Properties! Hope you enjoy your delicious turkey dinners! And don’t forget to contact Adrienne if you are in need of the perfect place to spend your next Thanksgiving in Shanghai. 🙂

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

Life in Shanghai is extremely fast paced and always exciting, however, you may find that you don’t have nearly enough time in the day to accomplish all that you need to do. In order to help with some of your house chores and busy work, hiring an Ayi in Shanghai can be very helpful!

“Ayi” can be translated into “Auntie”, but in this case, it is used to refer to a house maid to help clean, cook, do laundry, shop for groceries, pay bills, and even babysit your kids. Most Ayi’s are Chinese women from the countryside and come to Shanghai for better living conditions and higher pay. Most Ayi’s are accustomed to working long hours and are paid accordingly depending on their skills and experience.

Shanghai Properties helps new arrivals not only find homes, but Ayi’s as well. Contact Adrienne Farrelly at manager@shanghaiprops.com and she’ll find you a great new addition to your family.

Tips for hiring an Ayi

Hiring an Ayi can be very helpful if you find you are having trouble juggling all of your daily demands. However, here are a few things you should take into consideration before hiring one.

1) Communication
Because most Ayi’s originate from rural China, their English skills will be little, if anything at all. Even if you can speak some Mandarin, she may speak a dialect, and you may not be able to fully understand her. In most cases this problem can be overcome, but this is an aspect of the hiring process that you should expect and be prepared for. In the case you want to find an Ayi who can be speak English, you should expect to pay her a higher wage for her higher skills.

2) Standards
Next to communication comes the importance of explaining what standards exist in your home. For example, how you like the house cleaned, how you like the food prepared, how you like the bills paid, or how you like your children treated. Eastern and Western standards are a little different, so all of these conditions should be made clear so that the Ayi can do her best work and help to create a happy home.

3) Payment
The typical payment rate for your Ayi’s services depends on a couple variables. It depends on her hours, what kind of responsibilities she has (just cleaning or more), how old she is, how much experience she has, and her language abilities. It is your decision if you want to pay her per hour or per month but she may have her own preference depending on her living needs. Usually hourly payment starts from 20 RMB and monthly payment from 400 RMB. The prices can often be negotiated, but you may need some one who can speak Chinese fluently to fully communicate your preferences.

4) Safety
You (and your family’s) safety always comes first, so make sure you are comfortable with this decision before letting an Ayi into your home unsupervised. Relationships with your Ayi can be very different, for example, some people hire live-in help and others just give the Ayi a key and ask her to come at the desired times. If you would prefer to be home while the Ayi is working, that is certainly okay. Just make sure that whatever you choose, you (and your family) feel safe and comfortable at home. It is usually good protocol to hire an Ayi through a reference who has had experience working with foreign families before. Use caution if you hire an Ayi that does not have any references from foreigners, as they may not be accustomed to Western expectations. In some rare cases, Ayi’s have been known to use fake ID cards and commit petty theft. The best advice to give is to just do your research and use good judgment here.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

Are you moving to Shanghai and are wondering about China’s pet relocation protocols? Are you wondering “is it possible, and if so, what are the regulations?” Below we have the basics you will need to know, as well as some pet relocation agency recommendations to help you with the process of moving your beloved pet.

Pet relocation to China is certainly possible for foreigners, although there are a few regulations and protocols that the government takes quite seriously. Firstly, the pet must be certified as healthy and up to date with all their vaccinations. They must also spend a period in quarantine upon arriving in the country, for which they will receive an approved health certificate. Specific regulations may vary between cities and provinces, but the general entry procedure we describe here is more or less the same.

There are two methods for bringing an animal to China. The first option is to carry to animal as a form of extra baggage. The second option is to ship the animal as a form of air cargo. The first option is recommended, as shipping an animal as air cargo subjects the animal to the harsh conditions of airplane storage. Different rules apply to each method, however, basic regulations are to be followed for each. These include the presentation of a vaccination certificate, which reports the full history of vaccinations, and a health certificate, both of which must be issued within 30 days of departure.

Upon arrival, pets are given a health inspection and a fee is paid at the airport for the animal’s quarantine time. For Shanghai, the official quarantine time that the animal must stay in the quarantine center is 7 days. You should check before hand to make sure there will be room for your pet on your expected day of arrival because the center can only house 50 dogs and cats at a given time. After this quarantine period, the animal is then transported to the owner’s home and must be quarantined again for 23 days, for a total of 30 days. The cost for the first week’s quarantine center is around 1000-2000 RMB. Other provinces’ and cities’ regulations may differ. You should always keep the original certificates along with the vaccination history with the pet at all times during the journey. You should also make multiple copies of these documents for safe keeping.

China also has different regulations for different pets, so if you are curious for more information, here you can view more details about pet immigration regulations.

Because handling the process can be quite overwhelming and confusing for foreigners who don’t speak Mandarin, using an international pet relocation agency has been a popular option for many expatriates. PetRelocation is a recommended agency to trust because of the great reviews from past clients. The majority of the documents were handled by the agency and the pets were handled with great care. Also, they are able avoid the seven day quarantine by entering China through Hong Kong.

TIP: When contacting property agents for housing, please let them know you have a pet with its breed and size. Some landlords don’t allow pets. Contact Adrienne Farrelly at Shanghai Properties if you’d like a pet friendly list of compounds. manager@shanghaiprops.com or call her at +8613122810421 for advice.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

We have a new and modern apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, and 2 bathrooms available for rent! This sleek and simplistic apartment is an ideal living space for any family. The open living room and dining room create a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, but can also be ideal for small parties and get-togethers. In addition, the beautiful marble counter tops add to the sophistication and coolness of this space. You won’t believe it, but this beautiful apartment can be yours for only 24,800 RMB/month! For showings or any questions, you can contact Adrienne Farrelly at manager@shanghaiprops.com or call her at +86 13122 810 421.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

In Shanghai, it is very possible for vegetarians to continue their dietary choices. Thanks to the many vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants, having a delicious and filling meal can be a convenient daily routine.

An increasing number of people in the world are choosing to adopt a vegetarian diet. Other than the original reasons of religion, animal treatment and environmental protection, the diet offers many healthy benefits. It is proved to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol, which reduces the chance of developing heart disease and cancer. The regular vitamins and minerals consumed also helps with weight loss and softened skin.

Adhering to a restrictive diet always requires some before hand planning, whether you are home or in a foreign country. Although China is a very meat-hungry country, you can find some delicious vegetarian restaurants in all of Shanghai’s districts. When you are looking for some new places to try, check out these that come recommended:

1) Bukhara
Most Indian restaurants always have good and plentiful vegetarian options. Weekly evening dining can get pricy, but their weekend brunch specials offer an unlimited buffet of both meat and veggie options (and Budweiser!) all for 158RMB. Bukhara is also acclaimed the classiest Indian restaurant in Shanghai, so it is certainly worth checking out.

2) Haya’s
This Mediterranean Deli offers some of the best veggie dishes in Shanghai. They offer multiple options such as falafel pita sandwiches, Israeli salad, Jerusalem majadara, tzatziki, hummus and pita, etc.

3) Cal Kitchen
If you like some veggie burritos, check out this Cali and Mexican restaurant blend. It is said they serve some of the best vegetarian burritos which are even better than their meat burritos!

4) Bistro Burger
If you are just craving a veggie burger, you’ve got to check out this American diner. They offer many burger options, including choices for vegetarians. They have a “Hippie Veggie” for 60RMB with a pattie made from mushrooms, peppers, onions, pumpkin, and tofu. Yum! If you are vegan, you can easily ask to remove any cheese from the dish. Oh yeah, they also have spiked milkshakes.

5) Noodle Bull
This place offers a delicious vegetarian noodle dish which comes with sesame sauce and you can order a couple of side vegetable dishes to go with it. The noodles come with egg, so vegans should be aware.

6) Lynn (Shanghainese)
A Shanghainese restaurant that has veggie dumplings and a recommended wok fried mixed mushroom dish. You can always order a side of rice for some extra filling. It has cheap lunch special prices so it is a great place to try for lunch in the Jing’an business district.

7) Qimin Hot Pot
If you are a hot pot lover, this place has great vegetarian lunch options. It is also vegan friendly.

8) Origin
This is the place to go for the best salad in the city. You may find that other places serve salads that are mediocre, but you won’t be disappointed if you go here. They also have a fresh juice bar.

9) Matto
A great pizzera to visit for a variety of vegetarian options. The Spaccanapoli pizze comes recommended with four types of mushrooms, topped with white sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil and drizzled oil. The crust is served thin. The best deals for this restaurant are during lunch, when you can get a whole pizza, a soup or salad, and a coffee or soft drink all for 98RMB.

10) Vegetarian Lifestyle
If you are a fan of faux meat, this restaurant has many options for you. Most of the dishes are vegetarian versions of traditional Chinese dishes, but they are also a few fusion attempts as well. It is said they do well to get the texture right, especially in the delicious black pepper “beef” and the Turkish eggplant with pork. A great place to go to “have a taste” of traditional Chinese dishes!

TIP: If you are vegetarian you may need to know where the closest fruit and vegetable market is to your new home. Make sure you ask your property agent for clear details as they can be hidden away. If you’re looking for a new home feel free to contact Adrienne Farrelly at manager@shanghaiprops.com or call her on +8613122810421.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties

A new 3 bedroom, 2 living room, and 2 bathroom apartment is now available for rent! Escape from the bustle of the city to this relaxing and tranquil apartment. The office area is ideal for personal study or working from home. The open kitchen and windows emphasize the light and calming atmosphere of this place! You can enjoy it yourself for only 24,500 RMB/month. Just come by to see it yourself and fall in love. For showings, you can contact Adrienne Farrelly at manager@shanghaiprops.com or call her at +86 13122 810 421.

Adrienne Farrelly is one of Shanghai’s most experienced expatriate Property Agents helping expats find new homes since 1994. You can reach her at +86 13122 810 421 or manager@shanghaiprops.com. Connect with her on Skype at shanghaiproperties8. Shanghai Properties